The Simple Life at Home: This is Not Working Out As Expected!!

5:56 PM | Posted by Lori ~ The Simple Life at Home | | Edit Post

So I mentioned that the kids were off school this week in my last post.

Well, not exactly.

Our school is very high tech. Which is great. Usually. But they decided to have kids do "virtual school" this week while they are home. Assignments are being posted on our school website where each child is enrolled in their individual classes. Kids are to go online, do the work, and submit it electronically. That way we won't need to make up the days we are missing on weekends or **horrors** in the summer. So that's great. However, the implementation of that idea is causing quite a bit of frustration.

For one thing, internet access can be unreliable here. It's generally good but, like everything else here in Doha, things go wrong with no explanation or warning. Also, sporadically throughout the day, the servers for the website (located in Holland!) have gone done, leaving people in the lurch.

Each teacher is doing their assignments in a different way, leading to confusion amongst the kids. Assignments are not being posted until mid afternoon, but are expected to be done the next morning, meaning kids are staying up late trying to get things done in time. Instructions are not clear, neither are due dates. Some teachers are seeming to forget that the kids have 8 different teachers assigning them work and are really pouring it on with short turn-around times.

I feel like I should be better equipped to deal with this, having homeschooled my kids for so long. But in that situation, I was giving the assignments, knew the due date, knew what was expected and was not at the mercy of 16 people who are trying to figure this virtual thing out for the first time with my kids as guinea pigs. Sigh...

And I'm dealing with it as both a parent trying to help her kids get everything done, correctly and on-time, and also as the front-line person in the high school, getting all the calls of complaint and confusion from parents and students.

And then today I hear that we may also be forced by the government to remain closed next week as well. If that happens I will bawl my eyes out!! Already I'm not understanding the purpose of closing the school for one week, as if the H1N1 virus is just going to disappear in that time. It's been a very unpopular decision and I'm hoping the government wakes up and lets schools reopen as soon as possible.

Ok, enough venting for now. Something more uplifting next time, I promise!

3 comments:

Nancy M. said...: I think over here they've decided not to close any school unless there is a sever outbreak and not many students present anyway. It's true that a week or two won't make that much difference.

I know that's got to be frustrating for the kids being assigned so much and then not being able to do it all without losing sleep. And with you working in the office there, I know you're swamped with confused parents and teachers. I hope they'll open school back up so things can try to get back to normal.; September 29, 2009 at 1:39 AM
Leeann said...: I agree with you that it sounds like mass chaos over there! WHile there are still some folks leery of the swine flu around here, all reports I have heard is that it is a very mild flu- so mild, in fact, that some folks don't realize they had it!

No schools are planned to be closed here.

Hang in there. This too will pass!; September 29, 2009 at 5:33 AM
Stacey said...: don't you hate it when the people in charge don't know what they are doing! can you talk to anyone about it since you work there?; September 30, 2009 at 6:38 PM